BENGALURU : The urban development department’s additional chief secretary, Rakesh Singh has said that the deadline for engineers and contractors to complete the Smart City work on Avenue Road is March. However, the vendors and trade bodies said that this is yet another deadline, and work will be done sluggishly.
On Thursday, Singh inspected the Smart City work from Mysuru Bank Circle to SJP Road, a stretch of 1.02 km. He said that as per the request of the water board, work of laying of pipes on both sides of the roads needs to be undertaken.
“The works should be completed before March-end. Also, pedestrians must be able to use the footpaths. Contractors must ensure that there is no inconvenience to citizens,” he said.
Contractors and engineers have also been directed to undertake beautification of Doddapete circle and fire fighting station installation following the request of the vendors, he said. "There should also be proper parking facilities for people and pedestrian-friendly spaces," he added.
“Deadlines are not adhered to because each time a footpath is laid and the road is tarred, it is dug open for utility works like water lines, clogged drain, pipelines, or taps going dry. So there is no guarantee. Due to poor civil work, the business of many commercial units on this prime CBD stretch has been affected,” said a trader.
The vendors also point out that the slow pace of work has led to a spike in air pollution, deplorable congestion, and accidents. “For the work to be completed on time without any problems, an engineer should be deputed only for the stretch, to be present round-the-clock for monitoring daily progress,” added a vendor.